Short Game · Tip
When to Reach for the Lob Wedge
Part of our short game programs for distance control, high, soft shots. Build a program with it
The lob wedge is a special tool. Use it when you're close to the green and need the ball to land soft and stop fast. Otherwise, pick something simpler. For the shot itself, widen your stance. Play the ball forward. Open the face a little. Use more wrist hinge than usual. Let the back of the sole slide into the turf. Through the strike, keep the face looking up at the sky. If it turns down or left, the ball comes out low and runs.
Step by step
- Save it for short shots that must stop.
- Widen your stance, ball forward.
- Open the face a little.
- Hinge your wrists and let the sole slide.
- Keep the face pointing up through the finish.
Why it works
A lob wedge has the most loft in the bag, and opening the face adds more. The extra loft sends the ball up steeply, so it lands with little forward speed and stops quickly. A wide stance and forward ball let you swing under the ball, and wrist hinge steepens the downswing. The sole slides through the turf instead of the leading edge digging in. If the face stays pointing up, the loft stays on the face through impact.
Common mistakes
- You use the lob wedge when you have plenty of green to work with.Choose a simpler club that runs the ball out, and save the lob wedge for shots that must stop quickly.
- You close the face or rotate it left through impact, which de-lofts it.Keep the face pointing up at the sky through the finish so the loft stays on the face.
- You hit down hard and the leading edge digs in.Open the face a little and let the back of the sole slide along the turf.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball launches high and lands softly with little roll.
- You brush the grass under the ball and take a shallow divot, with no digging or thin skulls.
- At the finish, the face still points up toward the sky.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice from a good lie on short grass with plenty of room, and use a smaller swing until the sole slides cleanly.
Harder: Hit the shot from a tighter lie or over a bunker or mound to a pin close to the edge, and aim to land the ball on a small target.
Common questions
When should I use a lob wedge?
Use it when you are close to the green, have little room to work with, and the ball must land soft and stop fast. If you have room to run the ball out, a simpler club is usually the better choice.
Why does my lob wedge shot come out low and run?
The face has usually turned down or left through impact, which removes loft. Keep the face pointing up through the finish and let the sole slide under the ball.
